The risotto-style pasta with pumpkin and Taleggio is incredibly creamy! But what does “risotto-style” mean, exactly?
I’ll explain now… It’s a method of cooking pasta inspired by the risotto technique. Instead of boiling pasta in plenty of water and then draining it, you cook it directly in a pan, gradually adding liquid (usually broth or water), just as rice is cooked for risotto.
What are the benefits? More flavor: the pasta absorbs the sauce better. More creaminess: thanks to the starch released.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Cooking with kitchen robot (Thermomix) or stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring, All seasons
Ingredients for the creamy pumpkin and Taleggio pasta
- 3 1/4 cups Delica pumpkin
- 11 oz pasta (I used mezze penne)
- 7 oz Taleggio cheese
- 1 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Half golden (yellow) onion
- 1 clove garlic (or garlic powder to taste)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- to taste rosemary (needles)
- to taste sage
- 3 cups vegetable broth
Tools
- 1 Kitchen robot Bimby tm31 – tm5 – tm6 – tm7
- 1 Baking pan oven tray
- Parchment paper
- Knives
- 1 Blender
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
Preparation of the creamy pumpkin and Taleggio pasta
NOTE: This recipe can be made with the Thermomix or on the stovetop. If you do not use the Thermomix, you will need to cook the pumpkin in the oven before proceeding. I also suggest preparing a slightly larger amount of broth than indicated in the recipe.
WITHOUT THERMOMIX: First, take the pumpkin, cut it in half and remove all the seeds. Then peel it and cut it into even-size cubes. Place the cubes on a baking tray, add a pinch of salt, garlic, rosemary, sage and a drizzle of oil. Bake in a static oven preheated to 356°F and cook for about 30 minutes.
After cooking the pumpkin, thoroughly blend the flesh with a blender until smooth (figure 2) and set aside. If you prefer, you can leave the herbs (rosemary, sage and garlic) in or remove them before blending.
Chop an onion finely. In a large pot, pour a generous amount of oil and add the onion (figure 1). Sauté over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and two ladles of vegetable broth (figure 3). Mix well, add the pasta and bring to cooking, adding water (or broth) whenever necessary (figures 4 – 5). Add salt and pepper to taste, and the chopped herbs (if you didn’t blend them with the pulp). Meanwhile, cut the Taleggio into cubes and, once the pasta is cooked, add it to the pot with the heat off.
WITH THERMOMIX: First, take the pumpkin, cut it in half and remove all the seeds. Then peel it and cut it into cubes. Put the oil in the mixing bowl together with the garlic, the onion cut into pieces and the pumpkin cubes. Add sage and rosemary to taste. Blend at speed 5 for 10 seconds. Scrape the mixture from the bottom with the spatula, then cook for 5 minutes at 212°F at speed 1. Add the vegetable broth and continue cooking for 10 minutes at 212°F at speed 1.
When the water boils, you can pour the pasta into the bowl and cook it following the time indicated on the package, setting 212°F, reverse rotation, soft speed (spoon). When cooking is complete, add the Taleggio cut into cubes and stir gently with the spatula.
NOTES
For those cooking with the Thermomix: Do not exceed the cooking minutes indicated on the pasta package, otherwise it may break inside the mixing bowl. Try to respect them always, because even one extra minute can make a difference! Also, I recommend choosing a pasta shape that is not too large.
It is recommended to enjoy the creamy pumpkin and Taleggio pasta immediately; if any remains, it can be stored in the refrigerator for one day. Freezing is not recommended.
If you follow a vegetarian diet that, in addition to excluding meat and fish, also avoids cheeses made with animal rennet, you can replace them with similar cheeses made with vegetable rennet.
Taleggio-like cheeses without animal rennet
Vegetarian crescenza: soft and creamy, very similar to Taleggio in texture, often produced with microbial rennet.
Vegetarian stracchino: some versions are made with non-animal rennet—check the label.
Artisanal soft cheeses: some small producers offer Taleggio-style cheeses made with vegetable or microbial rennet.
How to recognize them
Look for labels such as:
“Microbial rennet”
“Vegetable rennet”
“Suitable for vegetarians”
Avoid “animal rennet” or “traditional rennet”.
You can follow me on FACEBOOK by clicking HERE and giving the page a LIKE
